Sen. Reid Ties Hoffman Death to Heroin ‘Scourge’

The weekend death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is owed to a “scourge” that is rearing its head around the country, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) warned Tuesday.

Mr. Reid, speaking on the Senate floor, said the problems of heroin addiction and associated issues are “sweeping the nation.” (View the C-Span video.)

Philip Seymour Hoffman attends Museum of the Moving Image Inaugural Envision Award Gala Dinner at Museum of the Moving Image on June 11, 2013 in New York City.

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“It’s really a scourge … We have people who start off with some kind of prescription drugs and then wind up with this stuff that’s been prepared by purveyors or evil,” Mr. Reid said.

He also praised Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin for using his recent “state of the state” address to focus on the issue, which has been a growing problem for the New England state.

“In every corner of our state, heroin and opiate drug addiction threatens us,” Mr. Shumlin said in the speech last month.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Mr. Reid on the floor Tuesday morning and warned that any state could face the problems Vermont is dealing with. He pledged to hold a hearing on the issue in the future.

The 46-year-old Mr. Hoffman was found dead of an apparent drug overdose in the bathroom of his New York apartment over the weekend. Known for his roles in films such as “Capote” and “Boogie Nights,” Mr. Hoffman had long discussed his struggles with addiction and substance abuse.

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